Goa to go for 12hrs Workdays Instead of existing 8hrs Shift due to Coronavirus Crisis

Due to Coronavirus crises, the state government has decided to increase in working hours from the existing 8hrs a workday to 12hrs a day and the rule will remain in force for the next three months said the sources.

According to the report, Goa has relaxed the labour laws under the Factories Act of 1948 on Friday and approved 12-hour daily work shifts, four hours more than the current 8 hours for the next three months due to novel coronavirus pandemic.

The neighbouring state Karnataka government is also in process of adapting to similar practice and said that it would work with industry associations and workers’ unions to arrive at amicable solutions on the number of working hours and wage arrears.

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Meanwhile, the AICCTU workers union has challenged the decision of the government and threaten to knock the doors of the Supreme court against the new norms. According to the trade union body said that the above move will legally force the workers to work 4 extra hours every day.

According to the reports, the above amendment came into existence following the representations from industry bodies and employers’ unions for longer work hours to make up for lost production and restart the economy. The other states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat had already extended daily working hours in the past two days.

Faced with a shortage of workers because of the exodus of migrant workers, Maharashtra’s labour department, in a notification on Wednesday, eased restrictions on the number of working hours till the end of next month. The ceiling on working hours has been relaxed to 12 hours from eight, subject to the condition that workers are paid double for the extra hours as well as a weekly limit of 60 hours and a stipulation that they cannot be allowed to work all seven days.

The CPM-affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Unions has opposed the move, saying the right to work only eight hours was obtained 130 years ago after a long struggle. Citu’s D L Karad said past experiences show that in small and medium enterprises labourers are never paid double for extra hours. Citu said it will approach the courts.

“No worker shall be allowed or required to work in a factory more than 12 hours in any day and 72 hours in any week,” an official notification by the Odisha Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Department said. It added that no worker would work for more than six hours before a half-hour rest.